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PI SCOOPLET … SILLIN JOINS VISA: Nathaniel Sillin is leaving the NRCC to join Visa’s public affairs team. After nearly a decade in D.C., Sillin is heading west to the credit card company's San Francisco headquarters. Sillin was brought on board to bolster Visa's financial literacy and education programs. In the 2012 cycle, Sillin handled communications for 15 states at the NRCC. Prior to joining the NRCC, Sillin worked at R&R Partners and with the 2005 BRAC commission.

LUNDQUIST TO LEAD CONOCOPHILLIPS IN D.C.: Andrew Lundquist will lead ConocoPhillips’s Washington office as senior vice president of government affairs. Lundquist succeeds veteran lobbyist Red Cavaney, who retired at the end of 2012. Most recently of BlueWater Strategies, Lundquist previously served as director of the White House National Energy Policy Development Group in the Bush administration.

CONTENDERS FOR TOP ADMINISTRATION SLOTS GAVE $$$ TO OBAMA: Interior secretary nominee Sally Jewell along with others believed to be considered for top positions in President Barack Obama’s second-term administration all contributed to the president’s election efforts, according to a PI review of FEC reports. Jewell gave $10,000 in 2012; Penny Pritzker, potentially up for Commerce secretary, bundled between $200,000 and $500,000 for Obama in 2008; Sylvia Mathews Burwell, who is being considered for budget director, has given Obama $2,300; Ruth Porat, a contender for the deputy Treasury secretary post, has contributed $7,300; and Jeff Zients, a leading candidate for U.S. trade representative and current acting OMB director, has given the president’s campaigns $9,600.

GOOD THURSDAY AFTERNOON, where it’s the 49th anniversary of the beginning of the British Invasion. On Feb. 7, 1964, The Beatles left Heathrow for their first U.S. trip. Three thousand fans greeted them at JFK International Airport, and two days later they made their infamous debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. Their chart-shattering success in the U.S. market would pave the way for other U.K. bands to make major inroads in the U.S. market: The Who, The Rolling Stones, Them and — a longtime PI favorite — The Zombies. Send your lobbying and campaign finance news, gossip, tips, scoops and opinions on whether or not it’s ridiculous that a bartender didn’t know how to make a negroni to btau@politico.com or apalmer@politico.com. And follow us on Twitter at @ByronTau and @apalmerdc. Tarini is at tparti@politico.com or on Twitter at @tparti.

BURTON LAUNCHES SWAY: Democratic strategist Jennifer Burton has launched a new firm, Sway. “For over 16 years, I’ve been electing candidates and winning tough campaigns with a unique ability to craft strategies and ads that well … sway,” Burton wrote in an email.

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NEW POLITICAL PARTY, THE KNOWINGS, FILES PAPERWORK: A new political party, the Knowing National Committee, filed the paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to be a national party committee. "Not LeftWing. Not RightWing. We're Knowings and we're looking for real change," the party says. A Long Island man named Greg Smith is listed as the party chairman. His Facebook and LinkedIn profiles identify him as "Senior Editor and Inventreprenuer" at the press release distribution service WireNews+Co. The party platform has a distinct libertarian hue, calling for an end to presidential executive orders, an end to the Federal Reserve, protection gun rights and a repeal of the Affordable Care Act. On national security, the Knowing Party does not support foreign invasions like Iraq, Afghanistan or Libya. The group also wants to impeach Obama, calling him “President Soetoro/Obama.” A chipper young woman answered the phone at the group's number but could only take a message. The group has a YouTube video here: http://bit.ly/XSpV9X and a slick website here: http://bit.ly/YGN1kY.

STEM COALITION ADDS 13 MEMBERS: The inSPIRE STEM USA Coalition announced the addition of 13 new members: Campaign for Environmental Literacy, Computing in the Core, Excelencia in Education, Expedia, Inc., Hands on Science Partnership, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Heritage Foundation, National Hispanic Council on Aging, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Puerto Rican Coalition, New England Council, Sabre Holdings and U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.The coalition is supporting the Immigration Innovation Act of 2013, which establishes the funding stream for national STEM education improvements through fees from the companies that need additional H-1B visas and green cards to fill high-skill jobs.

SCHWARTZ REMEMBERED: Michael Schwartz, longtime chief of staff to Sen. Tom Coburn, was remembered by colleagues, family and friends today in Germantown, Md. Coburn gave a floor speech honoring Schwartz last fall when he was forced to leave his position because of his illness, Lou Gehrig's disease. "He is one of the kindest, gentlest people that anyone has every met," Coburn said. "He's been a light on how you do things to honor other people. Mike has been the kind of person who has always focused on others, especially those in need."

KEAST EXITS THIRD WAY: Rob Keast, vice president for outreach at Third Way, is leaving after more than six years at the organization. Keast is taking some time off and going into consulting work, according to an email sent this week by Third Way’s Matt Bennett. Deputy Director of Outreach Meredith Derr will lead the department in his absence.

STEVENS LEAVES FIX THE DEBT:Pam Stevens, national press secretary for Fix the Debt, has left the group to work for the GOP Conference Committee. Stevens previously worked in the White House under President George W. Bush.

BPC HOSTS SPEECHWRITERS: The Bipartisan Policy Center will host a gathering of former West Wing speechwriters to discuss Obama's State of the Union address next week. Panelists include Don Baer, former speechwriter to President Bill Clinton and Worldwide Chairman and CEO of Burson-Marsteller; Adam Frankel, former Obama speechwriter and executive director of Digital Promise; John McConnell, former speechwriter to President George W. Bush; and Jeff Shesol, former speechwriter to Clinton and partner of West Wing Writers. The Washington Post's Jonathan Capehart will moderate the Tuesday panel.

MARIJUANA PAC DROPS 'MEDICAL' FROM NAME: Marijuana Policy Project's Medical Marijuana PAC is dropping the "medical" from its name. "The renaming of our PAC reflects the new reality in Washington, D.C.,” spokesman Morgan Fox said. “Following the passage of the initiatives to regulate marijuana similarly to alcohol in Colorado and Washington last November, there is finally significant momentum in Congress behind ending marijuana prohibition across the board at the federal level.” The move came in the aftermath of two members of Congress introducing a bill to legalize and regulate marijuana at the federal level. And it’s a sign that pot advocacy groups are moving away from the "medical" argument — which was always seen as a first step towards full legalization — and embracing the argument for full-on recreational usage.

ABC RELEASES NEW APP:Associated Builders and Contractors recently released a new political app, ABC Action, which allows users to send letters directly to federal offices in Washington on a mobile device. Users can respond to action alerts, stay up-to-date on policy issues, see how their representatives voted, track key votes and share information via email, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

MEMBERS OF CONGRESS COMMIT TO NO LABELS: The centrist group No Labels announced Wednesday that 40 members of Congress have committed to wearing an orange lapel pin at the State of the Union next week. This bipartisan group of "problem-solvers" is also holding regular meetings, the group announced.

T.W. Farnam of The Washington Post looks into whether the lobbying business is shrinking or just changing. http://wapo.st/11MSueE

Bloomberg’s Hans Nichols and John McCormick have more on Obama donor Penny Pritzker, who will likely be the next Commerce secretary. http://bloom.bg/VWvG79

Outside groups have spent at least $212,000 on TV ads against former Sen. Chuck Hagel, reports Jake Harper of the Sunlight Foundation. http://bit.ly/Yf9BRk

American Council of Engineering Companies California made a $150,000 donation to Americans for Job Security in July and another $250,000 in September, which then contributed $11 million to initiatives in California, reports Jon Ortiz of The Sacramento Bee. http://bit.ly/YQdpwl

New IRS filings show Americans for Job Security raised $2.5 million during fiscal year 2011, reports Dave Levinthal of the Center for Public Integrity.http://bit.ly/X8Qf1s

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Send to a friendScooplet ... Sillin joins Visa - Lundquist to lead ConocoPhilip's D.C. - Contenders for top administration slots gave $$$ to Obama - Burton launches Sway - New political party files paperwork